befores and afters

This week we had a group from our church return from a mission trip to Honduras with the same organization I'll be going with to India. It has been so moving and exciting to hear about the miracles they have witnessed and to see the move of God they brought back from this country. I don't think any of them expected to experience what they did. With that said I want to write about what I expect and think about this trip before it happens. I am confident I will look back on June 23rd after I wake up from the most ridiculous jet lag and have totally different things to say about India and Jesus.

I have been on about 6 I guess mission trips since I was 15, all to Mexico except one to the Dominican Republic. And they were all great don't get me wrong. Each one taught me new things about the Lord, about His people, about the world. Somehow though it didn't hit me until this week that though I may seem slightly familiar with missions, Jesus is about to completely rock my world, inside and out, upside down. I don't think I can even fathom right now what I will see. I imagine a lot of people, a lot of precious children, a lot of broken hearts, a lot of sorrow. I imagine a dark place that is ready to be permeated with LIGHT. I imagine beautiful people with wonderful hearts, desires, dreams, all waiting for the God that came to awaken it in them. I expect miracles, healings, restoration, newness. I expect to never ever want to come back. (don't tell my mother) I expect to be humbled, to be over joyed and to cry a whole lot. I expect new perspective, not because I live in America and I have food on the table every day but because I don't think we let Jesus move the way He wants. I think often times we/me limit the miracles He does because of our unbelief and laziness. I imagine that after going there and witnessing a free unlimited group of people ready to receive from God all that he has to offer, Im going to be blown away by the power he already has that I've just never allowed myself to see.

But then again who knows....maybe it will be everything I expect and more. Nevertheless, I am told to expect giant spiders- but I've already talked to Jesus about that so I expect him to have killed them all before I get there.

[Countdown to India: 79 days]